Hooded Warbler Habitat (Where to look)
Hooded Warbler Breeding Habitat
- found in both the interior and edges of mature, riparian (wet), deciduous forest with dense understory
- understory plants commonly found in Hooded Warbler habitat: rhododendron, barberry, viburnum, mountain laurel, and spicebush
- shrubby forest edge plants commonly found in Hooded Warbler habitat: blackberry thickets, hawthorn thickets, and non-native multiflora rose
- may favor nesting on hillside terrain within mature forest
- often found in shrubby openings in the forest canopy, such as tree-fall gaps
Hooded Warbler Migratory Habitat
- like most warblers - will be most visible over the spring/fall migration periods (May/June and September/October)
- even during migration will favor dense forest understory and forest edge brush
Hooded Warbler Behavior (What to look for)
- frequently twitches tail and exposes white outer tail feathers
- forages at eye level or lower - rarely high in tree - in fact, check understory/shrubbery before trees
- males do move into trees to sing
- shy, skulking bird - often seen only partially - view is usually obstructed by dense understory
- moves quickly from shrub to shrub - always on the move
- males may return to same breeding grounds year after year
- spends more time foraging on the ground than most warblers - often inspecting leaf litter
Notes from Anonymous Birders
“larger than most warblers”
“usually have to go within forest to find one”
“definitely check gaps within the forest near a water source”
“a bird of the shadows”
Indicator Species
Ovenbird, Veery, Wood Thrush, Kentucky Warbler
Good Luck!
More from
How to Find Birds
category
View All
How to find Golden-winged Warbler
min read
How to find Hooded Warbler
min read
How to find Pileated Woodpecker
min read
How to find Scarlet Tanager
min read
Join Our Newsletter and Get the Latest
Posts to Your Inbox
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.